FRANKFORT, Ky. – Governor Ernie Fletcher and the Governor’s Office for Local Development (GOLD) today announced that Kentucky will be hosting the 2006 Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) Conference, which will be held in Pikeville on October 11-13 at the Eastern Kentucky Exposition Center. This year’s conference theme is entitled “New Generation Jobs from Appalachia’s Natural Assets.”

“The ARC region is rich with natural assets and fantastic people,” said Governor Fletcher. “This conference will renew the focus of the 13 ARC states on developing good jobs and utilizing what the region has to offer.”

This conference features sessions ranging from Adventure Tourism to the Future of Coal. Additionally, the conference will offer “A Taste of Kentucky,” a dinner featuring food that is unique to the Commonwealth of Kentucky and performances by Owsley County’s Kids on Stage and Pikeville College. The conference will also feature excursions such as mining tours.

Representatives from the ARC program, as well as individuals from the 13 ARC states, will be in attendance to discuss the future of the region. For more information or to register for the conference, visit GOLD’s Web site at www.gold.ky.gov.

Governor Fletcher is the current ARC States’ Co-Chair. As states’ co-chair, Governor Fletcher is responsible for representing the 13 ARC governors before Congress and the Bush Administration; serve as a member of various ARC committees; and provide guidance on policy and administrative issues concerning the commission.

ARC is a federal-state economic development program used to meet infrastructure needs, as well as to support education, workforce development, leadership and civic capacity building, entrepreneurship, asset-based development and affordable and accessible health care. ARC is federally funded and available to Kentucky’s 51 most eastern and south-central counties. Applications for ARC funds are submitted to GOLD.